Method of making valves



Aug, 112, 1930. FORD METHOD OF MAKING VALVES 7 Filed July 20, 1928 A TTORNEYJ,

HENRY FORD, OI DEARBORN, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR .1 FORD MOTOR COMPANY Patented Au 12, 1930 m n-ED STATES PATENT OFFICE} or nmnnomv, MICHIGAN, A conronA'rron or DELAWARE unrnop or MAKING vALyns Application filed July 20,

I cast my improved valve in three parts, a head,

a stem, and a foot; and then to w ld these parts together to form the assembled valve.

Still a further object of my invention is to form a valve by first casting the stem thereof and then finish grinding this stem to a given diameter, then welding onto theends of the stem a head and foo respectively whereby the finish ground em may be thereafter used for locating the valve in the subsequent finishing operations thereon.

With these and other objects in view, my invention consists in the arrangement, construction, and combination of the-various parts of my improved device as described in the specifications, claimed in the claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which p Figure 1 shows an elevation of the three castings including the head. stem and foot which go to make up my complete valve.

Figure .2 illustrates diagrammatically the grinding of the stem member to the finished diameter whereby it may be used for locating and piloting in the subsequent welding and grinding operations. Figure 3 shows an elevation of the valve having'the head and stem welded thereto.

Figure 4 shows an elevation illustrating diagrammatically the roughgrinding of the.

"valve to length.

' Figure '5 shows a similar view illustrating .the finish grinding of the valve to length.

'tion of the step of removing the flash from V Figure 6 shows a diagrammatical illustratfhe welds between the head and stem and oot.

Figure 7 illustrates diagrammatically the grinding of the surfaces of thehead and foot which form respectively the seating surface proper of the valve and the seating surface for the valve'spring retaining washer respectively. 'f

- Figure .8 il ustrates the operation for grind- 192s. swarm. 294,115. 7

ing1 the head and foot to the finish diameter, an y s Figure 9 illustrates the finish grinding operation which puts the finished seating surface on the valve head and the finished seatmg surface'for the valve spring washer to rest upon. By referring to the accompanying drawings, I have used thereference numerals 10, 11, and 12 to indicate respectively the head, stem and foot of my improved valve. These members numbers 10, 11, and 12 are each-cast in permanent molds from a suitable steel alloy having the qualification of chilling on the exterior surface to make a very veryhard exterior while retaining relatively soft tough interior so that a ver fy strong valve is secured which is not subject to faults or breakage on account of its being brittle and still the surfaces thereof'are very hard and will resist-both the wear on the surfaces from use and also the erosion due either to heat or other causes.

A representative formula for such a valve alloy may be as follows: nickel 25%, chro mium 8%, silicon 2 to- 3%, carbon 1 to 3 iron 63 to 67%. Another formula which has proven quite satisfactory is nickel 10 to 12%,.

chromium 8 to 10%, silicon 2 to 3%, carbon 1 ,4), to 2%;and the balance iron.

It has heretofore been proposed to cast such a valve in one piece but due to the shape of the valve it is almost impossible ,to secure uniform metal texture in valves castin one piece due to blow holes and other faults in casting. With my improved method of mak ing the valve, the head, stem and foot are cast Y separately and then welded together as illustratedin Figure 3 at 13. These welds 13 may be made simultaneously or separately as may be desired.

Prior to the welding operation, the stem 11 i is run through a centerless grinder to give it the exact finished diameter required so that the stem may thereafter be used for locating the work in all subsequent grinding and welding operations. Followin the welding operations illustrated in the Flgure 3, the valve is then placed between two grinding wheels 14 and 15 andthe e Wh els opera e to gri d the valves to a predetermined over-all length. The grinding wheels 14 and 15 are placed a fixed distance from each other and the valve is passed between the wheels.

ing of the valve inthat case are dependent upon the accuracy of the length of the valve. Following the length grinding operation illustrated diagrammatically in Figures 4 and 5, the flash from the welds 13 is removed by the grinding wheels 18 and 19 as is illustrated in Figure 6.

Followin the flash grinding operation illustrated in Figure 6, the grindin wheels 20 and 21, as is illustrated in Figure rou h grind the seating surface of the head and t e periphery of the foot 12; Following the rough grinding operation illustrated in Figure 7 the grin ing wheels 22 and 23 are used to bring the total diameter of the head 10 and I foot 12 to a desired dimension.

Following the diameter grinding illustrated in Figure 8, the grinding wheels 24 and 25 are used to finish grind the seating surface 26 of the valve and the periphery of the foot totheir final dimensions.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I am enabled to secure several advantages in connection with my improved valve. In the first place it is possible by my improved method of forming these valves to secure a valve which has a very uniform metal structure throughout which is not subject to faults such as blow holes. The importance of having the valve metal structure uniform is universally reco nized.

Still a furt er advantage results from the fact that the permanent molds required for casting the parts 10, 11, and 12 are relatively simple and will last a relatively 1011 time due to their relatively simple shape. t will be understood, of course, that all these parts are cast in multiple molds so that a considerable number of these parts will be cast with each casting operation.

Still a further advantage is that I am en abled to use the same alloy for the entire valve and still secure all the qualities necessary for valves such as a veryhard surface toresist wear and the ability to -with stand high heat while also havlng the relatively tough center which prevents valve breakage. This metal structure is secured in my improved valve by casting in permanent molds or chills a very high carbon iron (r steel alloy having therein a relativel hi h nickel and chromium content wherebyt e metal takes the hardness on its surface from the chill due to the high carbon content while at the same time the chromium nickel and silicon together serve to render the valve rust proof and highly resistant to the action of heat.

Still a further advantage results from my improved method of manufacture as I am enabled to grind the stem to its finished diameter very cheaply because I can use centerless grinders for that purpose. This not only cheapens the cost of grinding the stem to its finished size but also enables me to use the finish ground stem as a locater for grinding all the remaining surfaces of the valve so that great accuracy is insured and intricate grinding operations are eliminated. As will be noted from the diagrammatic drawings all of the grinding operations are relatively simple and the valve can be centered in each case upon the finished stem. It will also be noted that the entire surface of the valve can be ground and that all machine operations in the finishing of the valve are eliminated because the valve is cast in permanent molds.

Some changes may be made in the arrangement, construction and combination of the various parts of my improved device without departing from the spirit of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims, such changes as may reasonably be included within the scope thereof.

I claim as my invention: j

1. The method of forming a valve for an internal combustion engine consisting of chill mold casting the head, stem, and foot, Welding these parts together, and then finish grinding to size.

2. The method of forming a valve for internal combustion engines consisting of separately casting chill molds then finish grinding the stem to its predetermined diameter, then welding the head and foot to the stem, and then grinding the head and foot to their predetermined dimensions.

3.. The method of forming a valve for an internal combustion en ine consisting of chill mold castin the hea and stem, and then welding the ead and stem together, and then finish grinding the valve.

4. The method of forming a valve for internal combustion en ines comprising chill mold casting the hea ,stem, and foot separatelyusing ferrous alloy with a high carbon content combined with rust resisting metals of the chromium grou then welding the head, stem, andfoot toget er, then grinding the valve to its'finished dimensions.

5. The method of forming a valve for an' internal combustion en 'ne comprising castmg the head, stem, 941 fo t, in permanent the head, stem, and foot in chill molds from an alloy of high carbon steel and a metal of the chromium group, finish grinding the stem to its final diameter, then welding the head and foot to the stem, and'then grinding the head and foot to their final diameters using the ground surfaces of the'stem as a locater for the subsequent grinding operations.

6. The method of forming a valve for an internal combustion engine consisting of chill mold casting the head, then welding the head to a'stem, and then finish grinding the valve to size.

7. The method of forming a valve for an internal combustion engine consisting of chill mold casting the head and foot, then welding said parts to a stem, and then finish grindin the valve to size.

uly 10,1928.

HENRY FORD. 

